Simplifying Pulsed VNA Measurements With An Advanced UI

By Walt Strickler

By Walt Strickle, Anritsu Company

In this vector network analyzer (VNA) article series, we have discussed how engineers use VNAs to measure modern radar systems and explored new methods to more accurately test today’s complex radar signals. In this installment, I’d like to examine the advantages of an advanced user interface (UI) when making a pulsed VNA measurement.

Setting up VNA measurements properly can be very involved. Add the complexities of pulse signals, and the possibility of making a mistake grows significantly. Traditional VNA UIs have been text- and table-based, and required the user to maneuver between multiple dialog screens. This can make the process of configuring a measurement confusing and prone to measurement setup errors. Often, expensive test equipment, for example an oscilloscope, is used to verify a measurement configuration. An advanced graphical user interface (GUI) provides engineers with visual confirmation of setup parameters to improve measurement confidence.